An unofficial, unauthorized, but potentially relevant, site for Utah ski information

Utah alpine skiing information and tips... focused on Alta and Snowbird

last updated by Steve Corbató (corbato __AT__ alumni.rice.edu) at: Sun Apr 5 07:13:13 MDT 2009

This page has been updated for alpine ski visitors to Salt Lake City during the 2008-09 season. This page is originally derived from a Web site designed for a ski trip that we organized during the Joint Techs workshop in Salt Lake City in February 2005.

During most of ski season, Utah is on Mountain Standard Time (MST = GMT-7h) - two hours behind New York and one hour ahead of California. Utah does observe Daylight Savings Time.

Click for the current time in Utah

2008-09 season notes

This year I'm trying to post a few shots from each ski day on my Flickr photo blog.

Pointers to more information...

Topics

Daily updates (snow conditions, weather, roads)
Ski rental and equipment sales locations
Major northern Utah ski areas
Other sources for ski information
Restaurant recommendations
Some liquor law insights
Housing recommendations
Transportation
Related information for visitors

Daily updates

Snow conditions
- Utah resort snow report compilation (Ski Utah)
- Individual area snow reports
  - Alta (mountain cams, season snowfall history)
  - Snowbird (mountain cams)
    - This season's snow depth timeline (in water equivalent) as measured at the Snowbird Snotel station and with comparisons to the chronological average since 1990 and also for each of the four previous seasons (NOAA Colorado Basin River Forecast Center)
  - Solitude
  - The Canyons
  - Park City
  - Snowbasin
- Northern Wasatch avalanche forecast (USFS Utah Avalanche Center)
  - Updated each day by 7:30a MST (call 888-999-4019 for recorded forecast)
Weather forecasts and current conditions
- Local
  - Detailed 24-hour Cottonwood Canyon forecast (NWS)
  - Five-day forecast for Alta (NWS)
- Salt Lake Valley and ski area weather cameras (NWS)
- NEXRAD radar imagery (Intellicast)
- Salt Lake Valley weather forecast (Intellicast)
Regional and national
- Standard radar imagery (Intellicast)
- Northern Pacific and western U.S. infrared satellite image (Univ. of Washington Atmospheric Sciences)
- U.S. jet stream (Weather Underground) - useful for anticipating storm tracks - the forecasters' phrase "split jet stream" is the bane of all die-hard Utah skiers as it usually implies that a high pressure system is firmly situated over the Great Basin
- U.S. snow cover (Weather Underground)
Road conditions
- State highway report - look under "Canyons, Passes and Ski Areas within the Salt Lake Area" about one-third of the way down the page (UDOT)
- Salt Lake Valley Interstate conditions - real-time map and cameras (click on Salt Lake City under traffic maps - UDOT)
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Ski rental and equipment sales locations

Obviously, the most expedient, but clearly not the least expensive, way to rent skis is just to patronize the ski shops at the base of all the resorts. For a one or two day stay, this may be the easiest thing to do.

These four stores are on the way to the Cottonwood resorts from either downtown or the University (listed in progressive order as one drives south from the UofU campus area). All four - with the possible exception of Breeze - sell discounted lift ticket vouchers, too.
- Sports Den - 1350 Foothill Dr. (Foothill Village Shopping Center), 801-582-5611
- Breeze Ski Rental - 2354 Foothill Dr., 801-485-4850 - downhill ski rentals
- REI - 3285 E 3300 South, 801-486-2100 - outdoor equipment sales, rentals, and repairs
- Wasatch Ski Connection - 6755 Wasatch Blvd., 801-942-2002 - downhill ski rentals
  - 20% off discount coupon (for printing)
University of Utah Outdoor Recreation Program - on-campus cross-country equipment rentals and information
Two other good local stores for ski equipment (both are between campus and downtown SLC):
- Wild Rose Sports - 702 Third Avenue, 801-533-8671.
- Wasatch Touring - 702 East 100 South, 801-359-9361.
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Major northern Utah ski areas - general information

Little Cottonwood Canyon (southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley)
- Alta (trail maps)
  - no snowboards, great powder, focused on skiing rather than ambiance, Devil's Castle and Catherine's area
- Snowbird (trail maps)
  - direct lift access to most difficult terrain in the state, base-summit gondola, Peruvian Cirque
Big Cottonwood Canyon (southeast corner of the Salt Lake Valley - first canyon to the north of LCC)
- Solitude (trail maps)
  - wide variety of terrain, Honeycomb Canyon
- Brighton (trail map)
  - 'Where Salt Lake learns to ski...'
Park City (40 minutes east of campus - the one true ski town in the state - 'in Utah, but not of it...' - note that the eastern slope of the Wasatch receives less snow than the Cottonwood canyons)
- The Canyons (trail maps)
  - large area (formerly known as Park West and Wolf Mtn), popular with boarders
- Park City Ski Resort (trail maps)
  - Jupiter Bowl, venue for 2002 Winter Olympic Slalom and GS events
- Deer Valley (trail map)
  - no snowboards, exquisitely groomed, caters to the Aspen/Telluride set
Ogden area (approximately one hour to the north of campus)
- Snowbasin (trail maps)
  - 2002 Winter Olympic Downhill and Super-G courses
Provo area (approximately one hour to the south of campus)
- Sundance (trail map)
  - Robert Redford's resort - on south side of Mount Timpanogos
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Other sources for ski information

Ski Utah - Utah ski industry marketing and advocacy organization
U.S. Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center - very informative site with many photos of individual slides
- I've been very impressed with the increasing sophistication of the avalanche science and forecasting done by Bruce Tremper's crew at the UAC.
- Nevertheless, a total of 8 people died in avalanches (all outside the boundaries of maintained downhill ski areas) within Utah during 2005.
- Concurrently, the UAC's analytical method is placing more emphasis on human factors in addition to the traditional consideration of ice physics and snowpack history.
- Tremper has written a good book on avalanche awareness and survival - Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain (Mountaineers Books, 2001)
- Bottom line (\begin{obligatory warning}): if you do go out of bounds here, please ski with a party that is both generally savvy and specifically experienced in the area, be aware of current snowpack and weather conditions and trends, and, most of all, be careful out there!
  - Wasatch Range avalanche incident reports (UAC)
The Utah Nordic Alliance (TUNA) - Local cross country skiing (both skate and classical) organization
Wasatch Mountain Club (WMC) - long-standing outdoor activity group (including winter hiking and climbing)
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Restaurant recommendations

UofU campus vicinity
- These four eateries are within walking distance of lower (west) campus.
  - Market Street Grill - 260 S 1300 East, 801-583-8808 - good fresh seafood - best restaurant close to campus - can be crowded on weekends - call ahead - one of the Gastronomy group restaurants in the Salt Lake Valley
  - The Pie Pizzeria - 1320 E 200 South, 801-582-0195 - long-time campus pizza hangout
  - Aristo's - 224 S 1300 East, 801-581-0888 - good Greek restaurant and bakery
  - Indochine - 230 S 1300 East, 801-582-0896 - Vietnamese restaurant
- These two establishments are located at the south end of the Foothill Village shopping center, 1400 Foothill Dr., a short drive from campus.
  - East-West Connection - 801-581-1128 - good Vietnamese restaurant
  - MacCool's Public House - 801-582-3111 - standard Irish pub fare and beer
Downtown SLC and vicinity
- Red Iguana - 736 W North Temple, 801-322-1489 - classic Mexican food - great moles - can be very crowded on weekend nights (with lines waiting outside the restaurant) - just west of downtown
- Cucina Toscana - 307 Pierpont Ave, 801-328-3463 - diverse offerings of excellent Italian food in a semi-formal atmosphere
- Squatters - 147 W Broadway (300 South), 801-363-2739 - original SLC microbrew pub - good specialty beer and food selection - can be very crowded during ski season and downtown conventions
  - Squatters also has a popular brewpub at the SLC airport near Gate C3 in the Delta terminal (behind TSA security, but reachable via walkway from all concourses).
- Red Rock Brewing - 254 South 200 West, 801-521-7446 - Another downtown brewpub - often less crowded than Squatters
- Bambara - 202 S. Main St. (in Hotel Monaco), 801-363-5454 - New American cuisine
- Martine - 22 East 100 South, 801-363-9328 - nouvelle cuisine tapas and entrees
- Metropolitan - 173 West Broadway (300 South - next to Squatters), 801-364-3472 - nouvelle cuisine and martinis
- The Bayou - 645 S. State St., 801-961-8400 - Wide selection of beers (selection of over 200) - Cajun food and pasta - private club (see section on liquor laws below)
- Oasis Café - 151 South 500 East, 801-322-0404 - New American - many vegetarian and Vegan options
- Ichiban Sushi - 336 South 400 East, 801-532-7522 - Good sushi in the setting of a former church
To the south
- Trio - 680 S 900 East, 801-533-8746 - good Italian and nouvelle cuisine
- Kyoto - 1080 E 1300 South, 801-487-3525 - good sushi and tempura - Japanese style decor and landscaping
- Three restaurants in the one-block 15th and 15th neighborhood shopping district (a good local bookstore - the King's English - is across the street):
  - The Paris - 1500 Emerson (E 1500 South), 801-486-5585 - good French restaurant with zinc bar
  - Fresco - 1513 S 1500 East, 801-486-1300 - intimate Italian
  - Mazza - 1515 S 1500 East, 801-484-9259 - good Middle Eastern cuisine
- Lugano - 3364 S 2300 East, 801-412-9994 - northern Italian cuisine - adjacent bakery and coffee house (Radda Caffé) is open during the day
- Citris Grill - 2991 E 3300 South, 801-466-1202 - Homemade soups & salads, wraps, and pizzas - just west of REI off I-215.
- Café Madrid - 2080 E 3900 South, 801-273-0837 - Spanish tapas and paella (adjacent to the Black Diamond factory store)
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Some Utah liquor law insights

Utah's liquor laws are often confusing to newcomers, but generally, I've found that they have moderated over time and that it's relatively easy to get a drink while eating (to my memory, all the restaurants listed above serve beer and wine; most serve mixed drinks as well).
- Beer (3.2%) is sold in all supermarkets and most convenience stores while wine, hard liquor, and 6% beer are sold only in state stores run by the UABC.
- In addition to restaurants and bars, there are still some private clubs (including several at Snowbird and the Bayou downtown), which serve the full spectrum of alcoholic beverages, but require valid membership cards for admittance. However, temporary club memberships usually can be purchased on the spot for a few dollars.
- The official story
- An SLC tourism view
- Nearby state liquor stores (open 11a-7p, closed Sundays and holidays)
  - Good wine store - 255 S 300 East, 801-533-6444
  - Liquor store on the way between campus and ski areas - 1615 Foothill Dr., 801-584-8387
  - Liquor store in the same shopping mall (Canyon Rim) as REI - 3245 East 3300 South, 801-468-0330
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Housing recommendations

Close to campus (35-40 minutes from Alta/Snowbird)
- Marriott University Park - 480 Wakara Way (Univ. of Utah Research Park), 801-581-1000
- University Guest House - 110 South Fort Douglas Blvd. (Univ. of Utah Fort Douglas campus), 801-587-1000 or 888-416-4075 - comfortable, reasonably priced accommodations for campus visitors (and others - including skiers)
Downtown (40-45 minutes from Alta/Snowbird)
- Hotel Monaco - 15 West 200 South, 801-595-0000 or 800-805-1801 - generally considered the nicest hotel in town (the Bambara restaurant is on the first floor)
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Transportation

UTA mass transit information - city and ski bus, light rail (TRAX)
Canyon Transportation - airport<->Cottonwood Canyon resort shuttle - 800-255-1841 (outside Utah) or 801-255-1841 (local)
Yellow Cab - 801-521-2100
Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) information
Park City area bus service - links the city and major housing areas with all three PC area resorts - information and route map
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Related information for visitors

University of Utah
- Main campus web site
- Campus map
- Utah Museum of Natural History - on-campus state museum with good dinosaur, mineralogy, and Native American ethnography exhibits
- Utah Museum of Fine Arts - campus art museum
- Red Butte Garden - state botanical garden and arboretum
- State seismic network - recent earthquake information
- Scientific Computing and Imaging (SCI) Institute
Daily newspapers
- Salt Lake Tribune (the traditional non-aligned newspaper - now owned by the Denver Post media conglomerate)
- Deseret News (owned by the LDS Church)
Utah environmental advocacy
- Save Our Canyons
- Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA)
Tourism (official sites)
- Salt Lake City
- Utah
- National Park Service - information on Utah's national parks and monuments (DoI)
- U.S. Bureau of Land Management recreation information (DoI)
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[Snowbird - View of Mount Superior from Snowbird] [Snowbird - View from Hidden Peak]

All information above is subject to change. YMMV! Please e-mail me with any errors or outdated details.

Steve Corbató (corbato __AT__ alumni.rice.edu)

hits since 12 March 2006